You probably agree with this, that fleas can be found almost everywhere in our planet! Which is why it can come off as no surprise if your dog or your pet somehow runs into fleas when they go visit the park or have their daily morning walk. Furry mammals can easily pick up fleas wherever they go, even just by resting and taking a break in your backyard can ultimately expose them to fleas!

Flea bites now are another thing that can come off as a problem. First of all, their bites can be so irritating for your pets even in most times annoying at that! Not only does these little creatures spread annoyingness, but they can also spread diseases to your dogs and affect their entire well-being. Ultimately, no one wants any type of pests in their homes let alone fleas on their pets! To give you more a sense of how fleas can really affect your dogs, here are some health concerns that flea bites pose:

Flea Allergy Dematitis

A lot of dogs naturally have allergic dermatitis against fleas – it’s basically the flea bites that irritates the skin of the victim. Unfortunately, this problem seems to be one that keeps pet owners into going back and forth to a veterinarian. When fleas bite on the skin of their host, they also release a saliva that can cause various types of skin reaction to pets. Some do not even feel any effect of the flea saliva but for some the effects can be quite prevalent and painful. More often than not, dogs who have flea allergy dermatitis, tend to have the skin irritation spread all over their bodies which can ultimately result to hair loss and skin scabs which can make the problem more severe.

Tapeworms

Chewing on an infested skin or licking a body part to remove dirt can be ways for dogs to ingest fleas into their system. And it’s not usually a problem if it’s just simple fleas, but if the fleas ingested is infected with tapeworms then there is a high probability that the dog will also become infected. Once an infected flea reaches a dog’s digestive track, the tapeworms inside the fleas will then attach themselves to the intestine walls through their sharp beak-like mouths. In severe cases, these tapeworms can cause vomiting and other digestive track problems on the host.

While Bartonella are mainly found in cats, dogs are still not a hundred percent safe from this type of virus. The source of Bartonella in dogs is commonly associated with fleas and so there are still a lot of on going studies with regards as to how fleas can really affect dogs. Which is why it is important for homeowners and pet owners to maintain a clean environment, that even the smallest of pests won’t be able to go through their homes.